@doschicos She could even pretend she’s in a conversation while speaking to voicemail if she couldn’t reach anyone. I usually just keep calling until I reach someone (H, daughter, son, friends). It’s a good idea, anyway, to let someone know that you’ve transitioned from one place to another.
I hate that women have to be aware/afraid to leave the house.
We had dinner with D and the rest of the family last Saturday evening, and watched D get into an Uber afterward with a rando guy. He absolutely stared at our family standing there, so I made severe eye contact with him…silly, I know, but what a crapshoot that the guy isn’t the one in a thousand psycho.
I calmed myself down by telling myself that life is full of risks and boarding an airplane is just as bad:)
This was this one incident I recounted, but no, I wouldn’t routinely call someone every time I got into a taxi or Uber. That’s complete overkill and paranoia IMO.
When I traveled overseas, I’d text my family when I got to my hotel, but for domestic travel that’s a bit much. My D is now traveling for business and I have to remind myself she is a big girl now and she doesn’t have to tell me every time she lands in a new city.
First they have to get past the State of Massachusetts, which has a very strict anti-discrimination employment law. According to an article in the Globe, the State Legislature had to amend the law to enable women-only health clubs/gyms. Heck if the State is doing their job, they should reject the business license on its face.
Regardless, its hard to conceive any panel of federal Judges approving discrimination in hiring.
Love the idea and the name brought back a great memory. In middle school and early high school before I had my license my dad would drive me to wherever I was going on week-end evenings. I was always running late and he would come to my bedroom door and say “your chariot awaits.”
The founder on the possibility of a legal challenge:
Does Uber allow the customer pick male or female driver? Do customers’ profiles state whether they are male, female or another gender preference?
This service is not a better concept because it uses female drivers - it’s better because it takes security & safety much more seriously with more rigorous background checking. Limiting it to female drivers is unnecessary.
Of course. Uber too can: (1) let the CUSTOMER do the “discrimination” in hiring (a la picking a female OB or massage therapist) by revealing the drivers’ gender and (2) by doing a much more rigorous background check process.
I think it’s worth considering this from the driver perspective as well. I often hear or read anecdotally about men driving for Uber just to supplement their income, and I realized the other day this straight up is not an option for me as a woman. You’d have to be out of your mind as a 19 year old girl to volunteer your car to strangers, solo. So while I will certainly switch to Chariot as a user because I am simply much more at ease with a female driver, I also want to support this business model that allows women who are interested in this type of work participate by dramatically decreasing their own risk.
Amazing how men can roll their eyes at women for being “so foolish” as to ever take an Uber with a man by herself (“you should’ve known better!”), and then turn around and act so insulted and offended that women would prefer to drive with women.
So a business is going to discrimate in hiring and in whom it serves and folks are fine with that. Ha!
“First they have to get past the State of Massachusetts, which has a very strict anti-discrimination employment law. According to an article in the Globe, the State Legislature had to amend the law to enable women-only health clubs/gyms. Heck if the State is doing their job, they should reject the business license on its face.”
Massachusetts apparently seems to allow Wellesley, Smith and Mount Holyoke to serve only women.
This doesn’t sound legal. And what about the males who will just say, “I identify as a woman.” Heck, maybe @himom 's H can say that so he can ride with her.
@BunsenBurner When you call for an Uber ride via the app on your smartphone, a list of drivers in the area that are willing to pick you up appears and you choose. The driver list includes name, photo, and description of vehicle. You could choose a female, but I’ve never seen a female driver listed.
Thanks! I am not an Uber user, so I was curious. When the customer does the discrimination, it is fair game.
Personally I think every car service or taxi company should require it’s drivers to undergo the Criminal Offender Record Information check. Same background check that is required for schools and day care centers. It’s more expensive but it just makes sense - especially since you can lock the back doors from the driver’s console in almost every car out there. Uber should either require that their driver’s submit a clear CORI check or they should pay for it themselves.
That would help UBER compete with Chariot if it takes off.
I think you missed the critical element, p-girl: it’s MA employment law that is important here. Do Wellesley, Smith and Mount Holyoke exclude all men from faculty/adjunct hiring?
I looked up HC, and found a couple of Department Chairs who are men, so it is clear that they do hire males, unlike the purpose of this car service, whose sole purpose is too only accept job applications from women.
NYU Law Profs on similar service in NYC:
W does prohibit a man from being president. Don’t know about the others.
i belong to a dance studio for women (pole and burlesque and other dance-related fitness) that prohibits men from teaching or taking classes. I have to believe they allow that in MA.